Movable and immovable assets held by people are now to be taken into consideration
Movable and immovable assets held by people are now to be taken into consideration for issue of ration cards
Hyderabad: Annual income limit, sole criterion for issuing ration cards all these years, is all set to be scrapped by the Tel-angana state government. Instead, movable and immovable assets held by people are to be taken into consideration.
Officials are examining the data collected under the recent intensive household survey to identify the assets held by people to zero in on the beneficiaries of ration cards. At present, those with an annual income limit of less than Rs 90,000 in urban areas and less than Rs 75,000 in rural areas, are eligible for white ration cards.
White ration card holders are eligible for all the welfare schemes offered by the government such as subsidised rice, kerosene and other essential commodities offered through public distribution system, free medical treatment under Aarogyasri, fee reimbursement scheme, scholarships, housing, pensions, etc.
With each and every scheme offered by the government being linked to white cards, large scale irregularities took place in issuance of cards. While the total households as per 2011 Census was 84.20 lakh, it was found that the ration cards were in excess by 22 lakh. The government has already weeded out 10 lakh cards in the last three months and replaced them with Aadhaar.
The TS government has collected comprehensive information of each and every household, with special focus on those holding white cards as part of Intensive Household Survey.
“The computerisation of household data was completed last week and we are currently in the process of examining the data by cross checking with Aadhaar data and data available with other departments. We are finding out the movable and immovable assets held by households based on which the government will decide the eligibility criterion for various welfare schemes,” said Raymond Peter, principal secretary, panchayat raj department.
The government has constituted a committee with senior officials to recommend guidelines over the parametres that can be taken into consideration to determine the eligibility for white ration cards other than annual income limit. The committee is expected to submit its report within two weeks.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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